151.
Blake Bivens,
rhp, George Washington HSR-R,
6-2/215, Danville, Va.College
Commitment: Liberty
Bivens
took his status as a prospect to another level in Jupiter last fall,
turning in an outstanding outing for the Evoshield Canes late in the
tournament. Bivens impressed at the Atlantic Coast Top Prospect
showcase last August as well, but his overall stuff jumped up a notch
in the fall. Bivens now works consistently at 90-93 mph with his
fastball, only rarely dipping to 89. The righthander throws a very
true fastball, but gets good extension and does an outstanding job of
locating consistently in the lower quadrants of the zone. His
delivery is highly repeatable and he can be relied upon to throw
strikes with both his fastball and curveball. And, it’s that
curveball that’s going to be a difference maker for the Liberty
commit. It’s a hard, late-biting curve with good 12-to-6 depth. He
can shorten it at times and throw it harder, working anywhere from
76-81 mph. It’s a pitch he locates just as well as his fastball and
can make it very tempting for hitters, throwing it just out of the
strike zone, and flashes true plus potential, or 60 potential on the
20-80 scouting scale. Bivens looks more the part of an advanced
college pitcher with above average stuff than a high school pitching
prospect.

152.
Adam Haseley,
of/lhp, The First AcademyL-L,
6-2/180, Windermere, Fla.College
Commitment: Virginia
Haseley
is one of the most talented two-way prospects in the country but
seems to have convinced scouts that his long-term future is in the
field, although expect him to play on both sides of the ball if he
attends Virginia as anticipated. Haseley has been up to 91-92 on the
mound from the left side with a hard 80 mph breaking ball, but his
6.5 speed and his very advanced barrel to ball skills give him a top
of the order center field profile as a position prospect. Haseley’s
swing is one of the more unusual among the top prospects in the class
in that he keeps his hands low and tight to his body during his swing
but his hand quickness enables him to square up to all fields. He led
the gold medal winning USA 18u team in hitting last September with a
.485 average, including six extra base hits.

153.
Aaron Brown,
of/lhp, Pepperdine (SR)L-L,
6-2/225, Chatsworth, Calif.Previously
Drafted: Pirates '11 (17), Indians '13 (30)
Brown
is a two-way college player who really stands out for his strong
imposing physicality, especially in the forearms. He generates
low-90s fastball velocity on the mound with control to both sides,
but the raw power and defensive ability make him a more attractive
outfield prospect in the eyes of the majority of scouts. He lacks the
straight line speed to be an impact defender in center field at the
next level despite standing out there at the college level, though he
should be able to handle center if pressed into duty there, though
the corners are a better fit. He has the raw power to play at any
position and the requisite arm strength for right field, the question
is how much the power will play. He has an aggressive swing that is
prone to swings and misses but allows him to generate impressive
power when he does connect. Through 52 games this season he is
hitting .319/.362/.575 with 12 home runs. The hope is that by giving
up pitching and concentrating his full attention to being a position
player that he may improve his contact rate to the point where he can
unlock the rest of his raw power and hit for a high enough average to
be an impact corner outfielder.

154.
Zach Thompson,
rhp, University of Texas-Arlington (JR)R-R,
6-6/210, Arlington, TexasPreviously
Drafted: Pirates ’11 (48)
Thompson
was a power hitting first baseman when he was drafted out of high
school by the Pirates but has developed as a starting pitcher at
Texas-Arlington. Velocity comes easily for the long and lean
righthander, as he regularly pitches with plus velocity and has been
up to 96 mph this season. That velocity plays down, though, as
Thompson’s fastball tends to be straight and his secondary pitches
are still in development. Thompson has the classic stat line this
season for a pitcher with those attributes, going 4-4, 4.86 in 79
innings pitched for the Mavericks this spring, with 93 hits allowed
and only 54 strikeouts. He’s likely to start his professional
career as a starter to give him the innings to develop movement and
his secondary pitches but is likely looking at a bullpen future.

155.
Brandon Downes,
of, University of Virginia (JR)R-R,
6-3/200, South Plainfield, N.J.Previously
Drafted: Red Sox ’11 (43)
It’s
been a difficult spring for Downes, as he’s toughed it out through
the injury bug, hitting .220 with six home runs over 177 at-bats.
But, scouts still continue to have faith in his tools at the next
level. And, he did have one of the most memorable moments of the
college baseball season in 2014 early this spring with a two home run
performance against ECU’s Jeff Hoffman. Downes is a 60 runner with
60 defense, above average power and plus athleticism. Players with
tools like that will always get extra chances to perform.
Read
Downes’ detailed Draft Focus Profile here.

Sullivan
is one of those players that scouts love to dream on, given the high
level of athleticism and the ultra-projectable frame. A center
fielder, Sullivan shows more than enough speed and range to stay put
at the next level, and with above average arm strength, offers a tool
not commonly associated with center fielders. His speed/athleticism
combo was put on display at the biggest stage last fall when he
robbed Daz Cameron of sure extra bases with a diving catch, perhaps
the best defensive play in Jupiter at the WWBA World Championship.
The bat is just as intriguing, showing present power and a short,
fast bat path, which are only going to improve as he starts to add
strength to his 6-foot-3 frame. He has shown that he can drive the
ball out of the park at present along with the ability of stretching
a single into a double with his above average speed.

The
6-foot-8 Povse commands immediate attention because of the leverage
he generates in his long, extended frame, and ability to showcase two
above-average pitches. He has a lively fastball that peaks at 95 and
sharp, deep slider that is his primary strikeout weapon, and even has
a low-80s changeup as a viable third pitch. For all his obvious
assets, Povse has struggled to win in three years at the college
level, posting a sub-.500 record and inflated ERA overall. He got off
to an encouraging start this year, but struggled late in the season
when he appeared to run out of gas and his 6-4, 5.10 record with 25
walks and 76 strikeouts in 72 innings was not indicative of how he
pitched, at times. Even as he generally commanded his raw stuff
better in the lower half of the strike zone this year than in the
past, he tends to negate his potential height advantage by squatting
in his delivery and coming from a low arm slot, and his pitches will
often flatten out when he gets them up.

Curtis
sat out the entire 2013 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in
the summer of 2012 and was moved from the starter’s role he had as
a freshman into the closers role this spring due to the depth on the
Longhorns pitching staff. He understandably started slowly this
spring but has been steadily improving in his raw stuff and has
posted a 1-1, 1.80 record with eight saves in 30 innings pitched
heading into the postseason. Curtiss’ fastball has been up to 95
mph frequently over the last month to go with a solid slider and good
changeup. His repertoire on the mound and status as a red-shirt
sophomore could tempt him to return in 2015 and take one of the spots
in the Texas starting rotation that will be open due to graduation
and the draft.

A
young, undisciplined, laid-back Oklahoma country boy who didn’t
take his craft seriously as a junior-college freshman, Jewell got
serious about his natural pitching ability this year and began
tapping into his considerable potential in a big way with a fastball
that often topped at 96-97 mph. Cross-checkers quickly caught on to
his act and came by in droves as he quickly emerged as the best JC
talent in Oklahoma, and soon moved onto a short list of the best JC
arms in the country. Jewell routinely worked this spring at 92-96
with an easy, effortless delivery, and capably mixed in an 82-83
slider, while going 3-3, 2.36 with eight saves in a closing role. In
27 innings, he walked eight and struck out 32. He still has work to
do in refining and developing his secondary stuff, but scouts believe
he could be stretched out to eventually become a starter.

The
Oregon high school class got a boost when Elliot Cary moved to the
state from Florida before his senior season. He already had an Oregon
State commitment under his belt and went from being a bit under the
radar as a big fish in a big pond in a loaded 2014 Florida high
school class to being the second ranked high school position prospect
in the entire Northwest region. Cary is a highly projectable
outfielder who has five tool potential, though there is still a
significant gap between his present ability and future upside. His
long lanky frame has plenty of room for added strength, and with that
projected strength his power is likely to develop. At present he is
more of a doubles type of hitter. Already with a quick bat, Cary's
bat speed is likely to increase with physical development. He is also
above average runner at present, and although he lacks the arm
strength for right field it is playable at the other two outfield
positions, with a chance for continued development in this area as
well.

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